Draw-bar-centering device for railway-cars.



PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

'1'. R. BROWN. DRAW BAR CENTERING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY'GARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1905.

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THOMAS It. BROWN, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN A. HEGEMAN,JR., OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

DRAW-BAR-CENTERING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed March 6, 1905. Serial No. 248.617.

Be it known that I, THOMAS R. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-Bar-Centering Devices for Railway-Cars, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in draw-bar-centering devices forrailway-cars; and it consists in the novel features and combinations ofparts hereinafter described, and" particularly pointed out in theclaims.

The object of the invention is to provide efficient and durable meansfor cushioning the coupler during its lateral action, so as to avoid theusual shocks to the car and the straining of the parts due to thecoupler striking the car violent lateral blows, and for returning thecoupler to its central normal position after it has been swunglaterally.

I preferably locate my new cushioning and centering device between theusual center or draft sills of the car and at the inner side of theusual striking-plate and mount the same upon a transverse bolt, which isheld at its ends by said sills.

The device of my invention comprises a main body portion having arms tobe engaged by the opposite side edges of the stem of the coupler, endsprings for cushioning said body portion in its lateral movements withthe coupler and returning said body portion and coupler to their normalcentral position, suitable means for holding and controlling saidsprings, and means for mounting said body portion so that it may slidetransversely of the car.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of aportion of a car equipped with a centering device embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through themain body portion of said device. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of same. Fig.4 is a central section through a detached portion of said device. Fig. 5is a detached view of the center bolt for securing the device to thedraft or center sills of the car; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partlyin section, of the means for securing the end springs of said device.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to a well-known type of carwhich requires no special description, the features thereof moreintimately associated with my invention being the usual draft or centersills 2O 20, between which is a space which I utilize to receive mycentering device and within which said device is disposed transverselybetween said sills and mounted upon a rod or bolt whose ends aresupported by said sills.

The centering device of my invention comprises a body portion 40 in theform of a cylinder, end springs 45 46, a tubular bolt or stem 47,extending through said body portion and binding said springs in positionat the opposite ends thereof, and a bolt 51, which extends through saidtubular bolt 47 and is mounted at its ends in the sills 20.

The body portion 40 is formed with a base 41 and downwardly-extendingend arms 42 to pass upon the opposite side edges of the stem of thecoupler, (not shown,) and the said body 40 is subdivided by a partition43, as shown in Fig. 2, supporting a sleeve 44. The inner ends of thesprings 45 46 are housed` within the opposite ends of the body 40 andmounted upon the ends of the sleeve 44, while the outer ends of saidsprings extend beyond said body, and through the springs 45 46 andsleeve 44 I extend a tubular bolt or stem 47, having upon one .end afiange 48 to engage the outer end of one of the springs and upon itsother end a flange 49 to engage the outer end of the other one of saidsprings, the flange 49 being held upon the end of the tubular bolt orstem 47 by means of a suitable nut 50, whose outer surfaces will beflush with the outer surfaces of said fiange 49. The flange 48 is slidupon the stem 47 and has a bearing against a shoulder 19 upset upon theend of said stem.

In assembling the parts of the structure vshown in Fig. 1 I introducethe springs 45 45 into the ends of the cylindrical body 40 and then movethe tubular stem 47 through said springs and said body, bringing theflange 48 up against the outer end of one of the springs, and thereuponby compressing the springs the other end of the tubular stem 47 may beprojected beyond the outer end of the other spring to a sufficientextent to receive the ilange 49 and retaining-nut 50, whereupon the thenself-contained centering device may be introduced to position betweenthe sills and secured by the passage of a bolt 51, Fig. 5, through saidsills and the tubular bolt or stem 47, said bolt 51 having finallyapplied to its threaded end a suitable nut 52. In the employment of thecentering device shown in Fig. 1 the tubular stem 47 does not slide uponthe bolt 25, but is rmly located at its ends between the sills 20. Thecylindrical body 40 will, however, slide upon the tubular stem or bolt47 and compress the spring against which it may be moving, which springupon reasserting itself will return the body 40 to its central position.The springs 45 46 cushion the body portion n 40, and hence serve tocushion the stem of the coupler on its lateral movements, and inaddition the springs 45 46 serve to return the body portion and couplerto their central positions. The flanges on the ends of the tubular stemor bolt 47 by engaging the outer ends of the springs 46 afford stops forsaid springs, while the partition 43 constitutes stops at its oppositesides for the inner ends of said springs, and the body portion 40,springs 45 46, and tubular bolt or stem 47 constitute a self-containedcentering device which may be introduced between or removed from thesills 20 with entire convenience, the length of the said tubular stem orbolt 47 being just sufficient to closely fit betvfleen and engage thefacing surfaces of said s1 s.

I illustrate the centering device as disposed above the location for thecoupler-stem; but it is obvious that said device may be turned upsidedown and located below said stem. It is better that the supporting-boltfor the centering device be secured directly to the draft-sills of thecar; but itis obvious that with less convenience and more expense saidbolt may be directly secured to parallel plates specially provided toreceive the same in lieu of to the draft-sills.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A draw-bar-centering device comprising a body portion having arms tobe engaged by the coupler-stem, springs at the ends of said bodyportion, a tubular stem passing through said springs and body portionand having means on its ends to engage the outer ends of said springsand thereby bind said springs in position, and a supporting-boltextending through said stem and supported at its ends in parts carriedby the car; substantially as set forth.

2. A draw-bar-centering device comprising a body portion having arms tobe engaged by the coupler-stem and also a transverse partitionsupporting a sleeve, end springs mounted at their inner ends upon saidsleeve, and a transverse bolt extended through said springs and sleeveand supported at its ends in parts carried by the car; substantially asset forth.

3. A draw-bar-centering device comprising a body portion having arms tobe engaged by the coupler-stem and also a transverse partitionsupporting a sleeve, end springs mounted at their inner ends upon saidsleeve, a tubular stem passing through said springs and body portion andhaving means on its ends to engage the outer ends of said springs andthereby bind said springs in position, and a supporting-bolt extendingthrough said stem and supported at its ends in parts carried by the car;substantially as set forth.

4. A draw-bar-centering device comprising a cylindrical body portionhaving a transverse partition, a base 41 and arms 42 to be engaged bythe coupler-stem, end springsA `housed at their inner ends within theends of said body portion and projecting beyond the same, and atransverse bolt extended through said springs and body portion andsupported at its ends in parts carried by the car; substantially as setforth.

5. A draw-bar-centering device comprising a cylindrical body portionhaving a transverse partition, a base 41 and arms 42 to be engaged byythe coupler-stem, end springs housed at their inner ends within theends of said body portion and projecting beyond the same, a tubular stempassing through said springs and body portion and having means on itsends to engage the outer ends of said springs and thereby bind saidsprings in position, and a supporting bolt extending through said stemand supported at its ends in parts carried by the car; substantially asset forth.

6. A draw-bar-centering device comprising a centrally-disposed bodyportion having arms to be engaged by the coupler-stem,

"springs at the ends thereof, a tubular stern passing through said bodyportion and springs and having on one end a head and iiange to engagethe outer end of one of said springs and on its other end a nut and angeto engage the outer end of the other spring, and a supporting-boltextended through said stem and supported at its ends in parts carried bythe car; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county and State of New York, this 4thday of March, A. D. 1905.

THOMAS R. BRGWN.

Witnesses CHAs. O. GILL, ARTHUR MARION.

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